NOV 08 (NEW HAVEN, Conn.) - John J. Arvanitis,
Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) for New England and
David B. Fein, United States Attorney
for the District of Connecticut, announced
that Armando Cardona, 71, of Meriden,
Conn., was sentenced today by Senior United
States District Judge Alfred V. Covello
in Hartford to 240 months of imprisonment,
followed by 10 years of supervised release,
for trafficking cocaine.

On June 20,
2012, a jury
found Cardona
guilty of one
count of conspiracy
to possess with
the intent to
distribute five
kilograms or
more of cocaine,
and one count
of possession
with intent
to distribute
five kilograms
or more of cocaine.
According to
the evidence
presented during
the trial, on
December 10,
2009, Arkansas
State Police
seized approximately
30 kilograms
of cocaine that
was being delivered
from Phoenix,
Ariz. to Meriden.
The DEA then
conducted a
controlled delivery
of the cocaine
in Meriden.
On December
12, 2009, Cardona
arranged by
telephone for
the delivery
of the cocaine,
and then had
an associate
accept delivery
of the cocaine
at a predetermined
location in
Meriden. Cardona
was arrested
shortly thereafter
at his Bradley
Road residence.
A subsequent
search of his
residence resulted
in the seizure
of approximately
$372,000.

The investigation
revealed that
Cardona had
agreed to pay
a drug courier
$30,000 to transport
the cocaine
from Arizona
to Connecticut.
The investigation
further revealed
that Cardona
had trafficked
an additional
30 kilograms
of cocaine between
October and
December 2009.

Cardona has
a lengthy criminal
history. In
1973, he committed
a murder and
was subsequently
convicted in
New York and
sentenced to
a term of incarceration
of 25 years
to life. In
1987, while
incarcerated,
he stabbed another
inmate with
a knife and
received an
18 to 36-month
consecutive
sentence. In
1990, he was
convicted in
federal court
of a cocaine
distribution
charge after
he was discovered
arranging kilogram-quantity
cocaine deals
from prison.

Cardona has
been detained
since his arrest
on December
12, 2009.

This case was
investigated
by the Arkansas
State Police,
the Pope County
(Ark.) District
Attorney’s
Office, the Drug
Enforcement Administration
in New Haven
and Little Rock,
and the Meriden
Police Department.
The DEA Task
Force in New
Haven includes
officers from
the New Haven,
West Haven, Meriden,
Ansonia, Hamden
and Branford
Police Departments.